Moeen Ali, whose upcoming autobiography details the story of an Australian cricketer calling him ‘Osama’ during the 2015 Ashes, was the one who asked for the matter to be ignored, according to team coach Trevor Bayliss.
Bayliss, speaking to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, said that though some of the England players wanted the matter to be taken up, Moeen himself didn’t, preferring to keep it under wraps. Bayliss also said that he had spoken to Darren Lehmann, the Australia coach at the time, and Lehmann spoke to the player in question but received a denial.
“I’m not going to make too much of it. It was bloody three years ago, let’s move on. (Cricket Australia) can do what they like, I suppose – everyone has sort of forgotten about it and moved on since then. I don’t see it as any real big deal.”
Looking back at that series, which England won 3-2 at home, Moeen told The Times, “They (Australia) are the only team I’ve played against my whole life that I’ve actually disliked.
“Not because it’s Australia and they are the old enemy, but because of the way they carry on and (their) disrespect of people and players.”
